


Bridging the Gap

by Dios_memes



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mineta Minoru Doesn't Exist, Gen, Rin attends U.A, Short Chapters, crossover fic, drabble-ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-13 08:40:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16014332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dios_memes/pseuds/Dios_memes
Summary: In terms of goals and ideals, heroes and Exorcists are leagues apart- where the heroes serve as symbols of peace in a crime ridden time, exorcists work tirelessly to defeat demons that leak into Assiah without any praise or fame.Okumura Rin discovers his demonic heritage at age fifteen and runs away to become a hero.





	1. The Entrance Exam

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I've had floating around since I got back into Blue Exorcist about a week ago. It was the first anime I ever watched as a kid and has steadily remained one of my favorites in the background ever since then.
> 
> My hero Academia is probably my favorite anime. I figured I would combine one of my new favorites with one of my old favorites in this kinda fun fic that I just write for enjoyment. I hope you all enjoy!

This year’s batch of applicants are promising.

Nezu watches from his chair, screens of each arena displayed around him. Videos of applicants fighting play on each one- the scene flipping from child to child as they crush robots using every asset available to them.

The judges sit below him, each with a pen and a clipboard in hand, murmuring as they evaluate each performance.

It seems that there are a few applicants that stand out more than the others. First, Bakugou Katsuki, who demolishes robot after robot with explosions that pepper the field. He’s ruthless, and takes initiative in any situation. Though he isn’t quite taking points from other applicants, he’s perhaps taking _opportunities_. Jumping in where other applicants could earlier, pulling point after point. He’s steadily climbing the ranks to keep a monopoly on first place.

That doesn’t mean the other students are slouches. Nezu watches as Kirishima Eijirou steadily collects points, both by bashing robots and serving as a shield for other contestants. Where Bakugou is a fire, Kirishima is a rock- both literally and figuratively.

Some of the examiners gasp, and Nezu turns to what they’re watching. They’re examining a contestant in training field B- a quick scan through the applicant list names him as Rin Okumura. He’s just taken out four robots simultaneously, sheathing his sword as the field is awash in blue flames.

Though his sword movements are clumsy, he makes up for it in terms of raw power. Even though he’s not first, his ability rivals Bakugou Katsuki.

However, where Bakugou lacks in rescue points, Okumura uses his body as a shield similar to Kirishima. His body seems especially durable, and quick to heal. He doesn’t go out of his way to help other people, but he helps where he sees trouble.

An all around quirk, though nobody can get a grasp of the specifics of his quirk. It’s certainly helpful for battle. Everyone in the room can see his potential.

Then Midoriya Izuku, an applicant who hadn’t made any points before now, punches the zero-pointer through a building to save a girl trapped under their rubble and steals the show. It’s a finale worthy of the motto _plus ultra_. It’s regrettable that he breaks all of his limbs in the process, but then Uraraka Ochako saves him from falling to his death.

The others whisper amongst each other, debating how many points to award the rescue as the timer runs out. No one has seen the zero pointer taken out in years. It’s impressive, no matter what the negative effects are.

In the end, Midoriya Izuku cinches a spot in the finals- despite his reservations about All Might going off and choosing his own successor, Midoriya is proving himself to be worthy.

And so does Okumura.

He places fourth overall, only because he’s reluctant to draw his sword and uses his flames sparingly. Nezu can understand why.

After all, while the others believe they are looking at an impressive and powerful quirk, Nezu knows better.

He knows about the worlds of Assiah and Gehenna, that demons run rampant across their world. In terms of goals and ideals, heroes and Exorcists are leagues apart- where the heroes serve as symbols of peace in a crime ridden time, exorcists work tirelessly to defeat demons that leak into Assiah without any praise or fame. Even among heroes, exorcists are not well known.

This is why they don’t recognize the blue flames clinging to his form, burning down any mechanical enemy in sight. They don’t know that sword strapped to his back is the Kurikara.

It seems the son of Satan is aiming to become a hero.

Nezu smiles, though the true meaning is unbeknownst to everyone else. It seems this year is going to be interesting.


	2. To Run Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Shiro Fujimoto's death, Rin has no idea what to do.
> 
> So he runs away and decides to become a hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few notes: Rin is technically quirkless in this AU, but his demonic strength more than covers up for that.
> 
> Yukio's quirk is battle analysis, inherited from their mother.
> 
> Thankfully, quirks don't matter as much when it comes to being an exorcist. Since they don't always help with demons, they're just not as useful. If you have one that helps you perform, then it's advantageous, but having no quirk/a weak quirk isn't the end. You're still perfectly fine.

Rin is fifteen when he discovers his demonic heritage.

It’s a low blow, especially since it explains the origin of his Herculean strength despite his lack of a quirk. Doctors just thought he was a freak case, having a quirk and an extra toe joint. Yukio has no such flashy quirk- causing them to assume they had each taken one from their biological parents.

Yukio’s quirk is simple, and kinda stupid in Rin’s opinion (no, not quite stupid- Yukio knows how to use it, but Rin would never have the patience to learn to analyze fighting styles the way Yukio’s strategy quirk allows him to).

Of course, their thinking was not the case. It turns out that, perhaps Yukio’s quirk came from their human mother, while Rin’s power came from actual, literal, _Satan_.

It’s a confusing, horrible day when Rin’s flames manifest and Dad dies in front of him, possessed by Satan- and he’s left alone, crying on the monastery floor and it’s all his fault.

Yukio had given him a few pitying looks before leaving for True Cross, as if he knew more than he let on. Rin would’ve loved nothing more than to just curl up with his baby brother and cry, like they did when they were younger, it doesn’t happen. As if a rift has opened between them, they don’t speak at the funeral.

(They don’t speak, but Rin knows. Yukio is set to leave for True Cross in two days, and Dad’s death has not changed that. Rin is going to be left alone in the empty monastery with only his guilt crushing him in the empty home.)

He holds the phone in his hand, gripping it so hard he’s afraid he’ll crush it- then his muscles uncoil and the pink plastic stops cracking. Dad had told him to run and call it, but Dad is gone now. He doesn’t know if whoever is on the other end of the line will even want to help him.

He doesn’t blame them. Even though he is only himself, Dad had impressed on him that Rin’s very existence could be considered dangerous. That people would hate him for being alive.

So he flees. With his sword strapped to his back and the phone for emergencies left in front of Dad’s gravestone, Rin leaves the raining funeral and runs. He runs, just the way Dad told him to. He doesn’t look back.

It’s not the most courageous thing to do, but Rin can’t think of any other option. He’s alone in the world, no one left except his brother. He briefly wonders if he should run to Yukio, but he can’t put that strain on his baby brother. Yukio is aiming to become a doctor, and Rin isn’t going to interfere with that peaceful life.

And with that, his only option is to find something he can do to get stronger. To protect the people he loves.

It’s completely by chance that he sees something on the news about U.A, Maybe a segment on All Might, or some other bigshot hero. The prestigious hero academy is something that Rin has always seen as something unattainable, after a lifetime of snide comments and “demon child” whispered behind his back. Despite his apparently amazing “quirk”, everyone in his life decided that his disposition was too violent for him to ever become a hero.

Well, what do you know? They were probably right.

But it doesn’t hurt to try. If anything, to get stronger.

(His goal has always been to defeat Satan. This is just his way of going about it, plain and simple.)

There’s only one technical problem.

Rin hasn’t attended school for a year and a half.

_Shit_.


	3. An Early Morning on the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's only a few weeks away from the entrance exam and Izuku meets a kindred spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are all the chapters I had written so this is the last update of the night haha

It’s early in the morning as Izuku hauls trash across the beach. Right now he’s working on the car, pushing from behind while the tires make tracks in the sand. The sun is already peeking over the waves, reminding him that he’s been here far too long.

That’s just fine. Izuku signed up for this, and he knows that he has to work harder than anyone else to get where he wants. Right now that just means putting a few extra hours here and there, getting up before dawn and pushing himself a little harder physically.

“Do ya need some help there?”

He’s surprised to see a guy around his age standing a few feet away, drinking vending machine milk from a straw. His appearance startles Izuku, who stops pushing the car to stare open mouthed at the stranger.

At first glance, he looks like a delinquent- he gives off the same vibe as Kacchan, which immediately puts Izuku on guard. His black hair is messy and his ears are slightly pointed, likely the result of his quirk. His jacket is large over him, and there’s something in a thin bag strapped to his back.

When Izuku doesn’t respond, the guy tilts his head and opens his mouth. When he does, Izuku catches a glimpse of fangs. “Well, do you?”

Recovering, he shakes his head, putting on a nervous smile. “No, thank you.”

“Ah. Ok.” The guy says. Then, instead of just leaving, he sits down cross-legged in the sand and sips his milk.

Izuku gapes for a minute before deciding it may not be the safest idea. _It’s better to just leave it be…_

Putting both hands on the back bumper of the car, Izuku pushes with all his might. It’s a struggle, and his muscles burn with the effort. He’s getting stronger, though, and the months of effort have been paying off. The car inches closer to the end point, where the trash he’s transporting to the dump goes.

“What’re ya doin?”

He stops again, facing the stranger. Instead of malice, though, Izuku only sees bare curiosity. The stranger doesn’t seem to have any ill will towards Izuku, which is strange. He’s so used to being bullied that this is… weird.

“I’m, uhh… training. My strength.” Izuku replies, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead.

“Ah, aight.”

Izuku pauses, hesitating for a second before asking the question in kind. “What… what are you doing here?”

After all, no one normal is out at the crack of dawn over the weekend. The guy thinks for a minute before shaking his head, taking an angry sip out of his milk carton. “I guess I’m trainin’ too. Though I don’t know how ta study so it’s difficult.”

Izuku brightens, finding the common thread between them. “What are you training for?” He ends up asking, curiosity trumping fear.

“Promise ya won’t laugh?”

“I promise.” Izuku says solemnly.

The boy fidgets for a second, looking away before responding. “I’m trainin’ to become a hero.”

When Izuku says nothing, the stranger continues, face rapidly becoming redder and redder. “What? Don’t have anything to say? Think a delinquent like me can’t be a hero?”

“No, it’s not that!” Izuku insists, waving his hands in the air. He knows all too well what it feels like to believe you can’t be a hero and have no one believe in you in kind. It’s all he’s known for the last ten years of his life. “It’s just that… I’m aiming to be a hero too!”

The stranger freezes, mouth hanging open in a silent exclamation. “You are? What’re the chances?”

Izuku gives the stranger a small smile, stifling a laugh. He doesn’t bring up the fact that most everyone around here aims to be a hero, no matter how powerful or weak the quirk. Izuku is a prime example of this. “Do you know what school you’re applying for?’

The stranger scratches the back of his head. Though his face doesn’t look it, Izuku gets the feeling that the movement is slightly bashful. “Uh, that’s the big one? Yeah… you?”

“U.A for me as well.”

It’s not exactly a secret that Izuku is aiming for U.A, but to meet someone else aiming for the same place as him (that isn’t Kacchan!) is almost embarrassing. What if the stranger laughs in his face? What if the stranger tells Izuku he can’t make it into U.A because he can’t even push a car?

The stranger grins. “Really? I’ll see ya there, then!”

He probably doesn’t mean for it to come out that way, but the fact that he believes they’ll meet each other after the rigorous exams, as classmates, gives Izuku a spark of confidence. “I’m not so sure… I have no idea what to expect from the entrance exam.”

“I know, right?” The stranger sighs. Putting his cheek in his palm. “I just don’t know what ta study! What’s the written exam even on?”

What.

“You’re not worried about the practical exam?” Izuku blurts out.

Actually, thinking about it, it’s kind of obvious. The stranger had asked if he needed help earlier, and based on his appearance, he may have some kind of strength based quirk. Or something that makes fighting easy. Inwardly, Izuku sighs. He’s almost exactly like Kacchan- only their attitudes are different.

The stranger shrugs. “I mean, kinda? But I ain't a guy to back away from a fight. It’s takin’ an actual test I’m worried about. Are ya worried about the practical?”

It seems like they’re actually going to have a long conversation, so Izuku sits down in the sand, leaning against the hot car. It’s nice to take a breather- he’s covered in sweat, tank top sticking to his chest. “I… yeah.”

There’s the ever growing concern that Izuku won’t become strong enough to inherit One for All, or that all his work will be for nothing. There are _many_ concerns.

“Don’t worry about all the little things! Ya just gotta do what ya gotta do, and whatever happens, happens.” The stranger insists. Then, a friendly, fanged smile makes its way to his face a he slaps his knee. “Trust me! I’ve been in loads of fights.”

Then, he pauses, embarrassed. “I mean…”

“It’s okay. So have I.” Izuku tries to assure the stranger, who seems bashful about the fact he just blurted out. _Though he doesn’t know how much it counts considering how painfully one sided his fights are._

“I’m Rin.” Rin says. He doesn’t extend a hand for Izuku to shake- they’re just a bit too far away to reach each other- but he does give Izuku a final smile. Izuku wonders how much that smile would change if Rin knew he was Quirkless.

“I’m Izuku Midoriya.” He responds.

(Rin wonders how Izuku’s attitude towards him would change if he learned that Rin is a demon.)

While Izuku catches his breath, looking at the rising sun over the beach (All Might will be here soon- that’s when his small break is over and it’s time for the real training to begin) when Rin gets an idea. “Hold on! I’ll be right back.”

Before Izuku can respond, Rin stands up and runs up the stairs off Dagobah beach towards the town. Izuku sighs, wondering if Rin is going to come back.

A few minutes later, he does, running slightly faster than the average human, eventually coming back towards the stairs and vaulting himself over the railing, seven feet towards the sand and landing on his feet. The impact doesn’t jar him in the slightest as he straightens, jogging back to where Izuku is sitting. “Catch!”

Startled, Izuku holds out his hands for a milk to fall in his hands. Rin grins, plopping back down in the sand with a new milk in his hands for himself. “Ya look like ya could use a pick me up.”

“I… thank you.” He replies, taking a sip.

Rin smiles as he does, and for the first time, Izuku wonders if this is what it’s like to have a friend.


	4. Everyone Deserves a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At first, Yagi Toshinori is wary of Izuku's new friend.
> 
> Then he realizes that perhaps Okumura is just a child in need of help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I sat down this morning and planned out some ideas I had for this story and then I wrote this chapter and it went in a completely different direction
> 
> For real though, I'm having a lot of fun writing these and writing shorter chapters/blurbs really helps keep me motivated to write so I hope you guys enjoy it too! Your comments are so supportive and I appreciate you all!!

Yagi Toshinori is no fool. After almost ten months of working with young Midoriya, he knows his own student’s reckless habits when it comes to training.

He knows Midoriya gets to the beach early in a desperate attempt to clean all the trash by the deadline, and although in the beginning he didn’t expect Midoriya to finish, the once impossible goal looks attainable now.

(Midoriya’s tenacity and drive just keeps surprising Toshinori the more he keeps growing- it’s how he knows he made the right choice in his successor.)

Just recently, there has been a change in the pattern.

He comes to the beach at their agreed time, unsurprised to find Midoriya already clearing trash. He’s almost gotten rid of the car he’s been working on since yesterday, then he can move onto lighter objects like the microwaves and broken televisions scattered about. However, where he expects to find Midoriya hard at work, he finds his student taking a break, drinking strawberry milk, looking at the water thoughtfully.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He asks, causing young Midoriya to startle the way he always does. Toshinori was able to glean from bits and pieces of conversation that it’s from years of systematic bullying from the child he saved from the sludge villain (and if that doesn’t speak volumes about Midoriya’s character). He has learned to be more gentle in his approach.

“Oh, All Might! I was just thinking about… the entrance exam.”

That makes sense. It’s practically all that’s been on Midoriya’s mind since they began training via beach cleaning. Toshinori sighs fondly, shaking his head. It’s also moments like these that speak a lot about Midoriya’s character. He overthinks things way to _damn_ much.

He ruffles Midoriya’s hair and then promptly sets the boy to work, training muscles and the body before the boy has to go to school.

He doesn’t think anything more of it until the next morning, where he finds Midoriya with the same type of milk clutched in his hands and the same pensive look on his face. Something is troubling him.

For the next week, it is a pattern. Though Toshinori isn’t quite sure what is happening until he arrives slightly earlier one morning to find out exactly what his foolhardy student has begun doing, only to find him talking with someone else on the beach.

He inches closer, just enough that he can’t be seen. He can only make out snippets of the conversation, but if Midoriya catches sight of him, he’ll clam up immediately.

“You see, you move the X here…”

“Really? Math is so…”

_Tutoring?_

Try as he might, he can’t see the person Midoriya is talking to until the stranger leaves and Toshinori catches a glimpse of his back. He’s not wearing any school uniform- only a plain blue hoodie and jeans.

“Who was that?” He asks, only for Midoriya to get flustered, firing off frantic explanations a mile a minute until Toshinori has to stop him and set him to work. Midoriya leaves for school not long after that.

But Toshinori knows that Izuku is bullied in school, and he doesn’t want his protege to be taken advantage of (and okay, maybe he has become a little bit overprotective of young Midoriya), so the next day he resolves to arrive even earlier so he can meet this stranger proper.

So he arrives the next morning, waiting for Midoriya to arrive. When his student does, he’s understandably surprised to see Toshinori standing there, wearing a coat and jacket to ward off the early spring chill. “All Might! What are you doing here?”

Toshinori gives him the excuse he had thought of this morning. “I know you come train early in the mornings. I figured I would some see what you’re doing to make sure you’re not overexerting yourself.”

( _Why does that sound like an excuse a parent would give when they want to dig into their child’s private life,_ Izuku thinks.)

“O-Okay…” He trails off, less enthusiastic than Toshinori would’ve thought he’d be. He must really not want Toshinori to find out he’s tutoring someone from his school- which means that it may not be entirely voluntary. If someone is forcing his student to do something-

“Oh, hey Rin!” Midoriya says suddenly, waving to the boy jogging up to them. When he gets closer, the stranger throws a strawberry milk in Midoriya’s direction, which he catches. That explains where he’s been getting them for the past few days.

“Yo, Midoriya.” The kid, Rin (Toshinori notes the lack of a surname), greets casually.

Then his eyes shift to Toshinori, and his gaze hardens.

Something strikes Toshinori in that moment. He can’t explain the tremor that runs through his body (it’s not fear, he knows all too well what _that_ feels like). It’s more subconscious than an actual thought he has. All he knows is that this boy with the piercing blue eyes, pupils dilated so they’re almost catlike in nature, is _dangerous_.

“Is this your mentor?” Rin asks, gesturing towards Toshinori with wariness in his voice.

“Y-Yes!” Midoriya nods, glancing at Toshinori. “This is- He’s-”

Toshinori quickly jumps in, holding his hand out to the teen to shake. “You can call me Mr. Yagi.”

He doesn’t miss the surprise that flashes across his student’s face. It likely hadn’t occurred to him that he doesn’t know Toshinori’s real name.

Rin stares at the hand for a minute like it’s a foreign object before shaking it roughly. His grip is strong. “Midoriya’s told me a bit about his teacher. It’s nice to meet ya.” His words are formal, but ring slightly false.

He stays a little while longer, on guard as Midoriya helps him with english this time. Then, he leaves with a wave. Midoriya seems to find nothing wrong with the stranger, but Toshinori can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with him.

-

“So, he didn’t give a last name?”

Midoriya pauses, giving Toshinori a strange look. He’s likely wondering why Toshinori is inquiring about his friend in the first place. He pauses in his work to answer. “No, it’s Okumura. He told me he’s just so used to being addressed by Rin that it slipped his mind.”

_Hmm._

“What school does he go to?”

Midoriya shrugs. “He didn’t say. He’s trying to get into U.A, though.”

Ah. So that’s why Midoriya was so quick to warm up to him. If he’s an applicant, that means his records should be somewhere in the school, though, so that’s a start.

“He reminds me of the kid I met in the sludge incident. The blonde boy…” Okumura had been brash in the same way, after all. 

“Kacchan?”

He’s surprised when Midoriya just shakes his head. “No, he’s not really like that. At least, I think he isn’t. “

Midoriya seems convinced that this Okumura kid is a good person.

(Though he can’t get rid of the feeling that’s been stuck in his mind since he met the teen, the unease, the thought that something is inherently wrong.)

(He realizes he is so on edge because this is the same thing he felt upon fighting All for One- perhaps that is what worries him the most.)

So it seems that Toshinori will have to investigate himself.

One last question from Midoriya reveals that he doesn’t know where Okumura lives, since they’ve only met recently, but he mentions that Okumura has spent a lot of time in the library in a frantic attempt to study for the written exam. Toshinori thanks him, and when they part ways, Toshinori stops by Musutafu public library.

Okumura is thankfully there, like Midoriya mentioned. He has his head buried in a book, perhaps a little too close to read the words. He really is an awful studier. Toshinori notices the backpack by his feet, one that doesn’t seem to be full of books but full of clothes.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He says casually, approaching the seat across from Okumura and claiming it.

Okumura doesn’t startle like Midoriya does. He looks up from his book, and Toshinori notes the bags in his eyes. “Oh. You’re Midoriya’s teacher again. Hi.”

“What are you doing here so late? Surely this can wait until the morning.”

Okumura gives him a hard look. “I gotta study all I can.”

“Midoriya tells me that you’re aiming for U.A. Are you not worried about the practical exam?”

He waves a dismissive hand. “I can take care of that, no problem.”

There’s confidence there, Toshinori notes. Though he doesn’t seem to be bragging the way Toshinori has observed Bakugou does. It’s more resigned, quiet. He doesn’t seem proud of the fact.

“So how did you meet young Midoriya?” He asks.

“I saw him working on the beach and I was curious, so I ended up talking to him. He’s… I want to be friends.”

Toshinori pauses, looking at Okumura’s bashful face. The teen’s face is slightly red, and he’s turning away so he can’t see Toshinori. Despite the feeling of wrongdanger _monster_ , he remembers this is just a kid. He’s Midoriya’s age- so, _so_ young.

And, well. He knows what the bag at Okumura’s feet means, the late nights spent trying to avoid going home.

“Young man,” He starts, “do you need a place to stay for the night?”


	5. Intermission 1- The Garden of Amahara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moriyama Shiemi would do anything to protect her garden. _Anything._
> 
> Okumura Yukio is _fine_ , thank you very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin is missing, and Yukio is not coping well™
> 
> I intend to visit his and other exorcists POV from time to time, though not as often as the main storyline, until they meet up later on.
> 
> This may be the last chapter until the weekend because I have exams coming up and I too am stressed, Haha. I hope you enjoy this chapter in the meantime!

_”I can help you protect the place you treasure so much.”_

The voice coos in Shiemi’s ear, soft and sweet. It brings her into a peaceful lull despite the fat tears dripping down her face, and she finds her sadness ebbing.

“You really will? You’ll help me keep the garden safe?” She asks, desperation tinting her voice. Her fingernails dig into the dirt as she clenches her fists. “Please help me!”

_”Of course. Just lend me your strength.”_

Not long after that, the plants start to heal and grow- her grandmother’s garden flourishing once more. As they do, her body becomes weaker and weaker until her legs stop working altogether.

Flowers sprout in her lungs and roots in her feet. Still, she crawls out every day with a watering can in hand. Whatever she can do with her decaying body.

Moriyama Shiemi would do anything to protect her garden. _Anything_.

-

Yukio is aware that Moriyama is becoming more distant from her mother- and in turn, more closed off to him as well. Their chats when he visits for supplies become brief, and although she is smiling, her face is still sad.

Yukio notices, but he has bigger things to worry about- his brother missing after destroying the seal on his flames, the class he teaches- so he pushes these thoughts away. Moriyama is his friend, but she is not his priority.

He didn't realize how bad it was getting until Moriyama's mother calls him, frantic. "Shiemi can't use her legs anymore!"

This is cause for concern- mostly because it means a demon may be involved. Yukio listens as Moriyama senior explains in more detail. Shiemi's eventual isolation, her weakening body.

"It will be okay, Mrs. Moriyama." Yukio explains patiently. "I have supplies I need to pick up next week. I can examine her then."

She's not happy, but eventually relents that besides not being able to walk, Shiemi has been physically stable. She can last another seven days for Yukio to stop by the shop- and she'll have to. Yukio has priorities. Rin, class, friends.

(But his brother has not been found since he left Father's funeral weeks ago. He didn't even call Mephisto's phone- something he confronted the headmaster about, and received a cryptic smile and a dismissive wave of a hand. He has a feeling that Mephisto knows more than he's letting on. He always does.)

So that means his class comes next. Pharmacology is his specialty, and this year's group of exorcists is promising. Shura thinks he doesn't recognize her under the hoodie she wears to class.

The Vatican is watching them. He briefly wonders what they're looking for- if they didn't know of Rin's existence, then what?

He gives Moriyama little thought until the day of his appointment, when he shrugs on his exorcist coat and uses the magical key to come to the shop.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Moriyama." He greets as he enters the shop.

Moriyama senior looks worse for wear- the stress of the situation likely making her frazzled. Her hair is thrown into a messy half-ponytail on the side of her head, and the pipe in her hands is already lit. If the smell of smoke in the shop is any indication, she's been smoking a while. "Ah. Yukio. You're here."

"I am. How is Moriyama?" He asks as she reaches into a drawer for his order. She hands him the package quickly, taking another puff of her pipe.

Yukio is no stranger to tobacco. Father smoked, especially when he was stressed. Yukio can't often remember a time where there _wasn't_ a cigarette dangling from his lips, even if it wasn't lit. "She's not talking to me. She's fond of you, so maybe you can get her to talk."

He thinks he hears her mumble, _even though I'm her damn mother..._

"Right. I'll examine her and see if it's a demon first- if it's not, it's likely an issue you can sort out as mother and daughter." He says professionally.

Mrs. Moriyama purses her lips. "You've changed, Yukio."

"Really?"

He doesn't know what she's talking about. Yukio is the same as he's always been- composed, calm, and professional. No matter what's happening in his life, it won't affect his work. It can't. Not when he has so much resting on his shoulders. 

She gives him a hard look before leading him through the back door to the garden. "Shiemi! An exorcist is here to see you!"

"I told you mom, it's not a demon!"

It's been a while since Yukio has visited the shop, but even he can tell Moriyama is not doing well. Her face is flushed from the effort, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and cheeks as she struggles with a heavy bag of fertilizer.

(Her feet are scratched and bloody and useless and she _still_ crawls through dirt on all fours, doing heavy labor for hours.)

"Shut up and let the doctor look at you!" She snaps, causing Moriyama to falter.

Yukio examines the roots pulsing through her legs, too abnormal to be veins. They're tinged slightly green. It's a demon.

"B-But I haven't come into contact with any demons!" She says, mouth agape. "Look, the demon gate is still up!"

She's so serious Yukio can do nothing but take her words at face value. She wouldn't lie- especially about something as serious as this. "The demon probably disguised itself as something and talked to you that way. Do you remember anything out of the ordinary happening recently?"

She shakes her head.

"Well, if you don't know what it was, then we should just destroy the entire damn garden!" Her mother snaps. 

( _She doesn't know how hard we have worked what we have sacrificed how dare she h o w d a r e s h e-_ )

Moriyama's face turns absolutely livid- shaking with anger, her words drip acid and hate. "How could you? This garden meant everything to Grandma, and now you're takin that away? I hate you!"

Mrs. Moriyama's eyes widen, and the irritation slides off her face. But before she can say anything, Moriyama's eyes flutter shut, and she collapses to the ground.

-

_None of them know anything. Oh, Shiemi, if only they saw this garden the way you did._

_We can make them see. They will see how beautiful it is and how beautiful you make it. Then they will want to stay, too._

_You just have to trust me, and give me more of your strength. Then we can make this place as beautiful as the garden of Amahara._

_**Give me more of your strength, Shiemi.** _

Her feet are planted to the ground, and she sprouts.

-

Yukio takes one look at the plant demon, cowardly using Moriyama as a shield, and promptly shoots it in the face. 

-

"Moriyama?"

"Shiemi!"

Shiemi blinks awake slowly, vision blurry. Everything hurts, like she ran a marathon. Only her legs haven't been working so well in a while, so...

"Yuki?" She asks blearily, trying to remember what happened. That's right, he was visiting for some reason or another- probably because Mom asked him to, even though she's been insisting she's fine, and-

"The demon! What happened?"

Yuki gives her a thin smile, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I took care of it. A little bit of plant nutrients did the trick. It was a weak demon, but it had been feeding off your energy for a while."

It almost sounds like he's reprimanding her- while his voice isn't cold, it isn't kind either.

Mom, meanwhile, looks close to tears- she actually _does_ scold Shiemi, eyes wet with unshed tears. "You foolish girl! What would I have done if you had gotten hurt?"

_Don't leave me, too._

That's right. How could she have been so stupid to forget that? Grandma is gone, but Mom is still here. And Shiemi can't leave her alone.

Standing up on her own two legs for the first time in a while, Shiemi staggers over to her mother, wobbling from lack of use, and throws herself into her mother's arms. And she cries like she hasn't for a long time.

-

Yukio leaves soon after that. He feels out of place watching a family moment he isn't part of.

He returns to his empty dorm room and starts preparing his next lesson plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okumura Yukio, sitting on a chair while everything is burning around him: this is fine
> 
>  
> 
> Seriously, though, he's not having very healthy thoughts in this AU. I hope I'm highlighting just how much he's compartmentalizing, to the point where he starts pushing away friends and impersonalizing his interactions.


	6. The calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin doesn't understand why Yagi is letting him stay, but the old man is bound to crack and kick him out at some point.
> 
> Except Yagi doesn't.
> 
> Meanwhile, Midoriya is stressing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams are over for now and after a straight day of sleeping in I feel so much better! Kind of an eh transition chapter but I promise that things will start picking up. There will be more plot between the time of the exam and the start of school, and the bulk of this arc kind of takes place in that period of time. Idk how much i'm going to write of the exam itself considering there's not much that changes from canon on Izuku's part.

Rin doesn’t know what Midoriya’s teacher wants, but he knows he needs a place to sleep. He’s been crashing in random places for the past few weeks, and a bed sounds nice.

He’s on guard the first night, waiting for some kind of attack or- or something. Nobody is just this nice, letting a stranger into their house and expecting nothing in return. Especially Rin- adults _always_ seem to have this mistrust of him, no matter what kind of good impression he tries to make. It just goes to shit.

Suffice to say he doesn’t get much sleep, clutching to his sword like a lifeline. Despite the fact that Midoriya’s teacher is asleep in a room down the hall (Rin can hear his loud snoring), he can’t drop the feeling that someone is watching him.

Still, despite the rocky night, one turns into two, and two turns into more, until Rin has been staying at Yagi’s house for five days. And _nothing has happened_.

Well, he can’t exactly say nothing. Rin did manage to find out, entirely by accident, that Yagi’s health is actually, certifiably fucked. The old man had been vomiting blood into a toilet, face even more pale and gaunt than usual, and Rin had been seconds away from calling an ambulance when he stopped long enough to inform Rin that this is a natural occurrence.

(Humans are so fragile, something in Rin’s mind whispers. They can snap with the easiest touch.)

He shoves the thought down, though he knows it’s right. He has always been more durable than most, except for those with quirks boosting their strength or endurance. (One time, when he was younger, they even had to call in a local hero with a basic strength quirk to calm him down. He was the only one who had been able to handle Rin’s punch- even Dad had broken three ribs in the face of a blow from child-Rin.)

Still, knowing something and seeing it are two different things. This weakness is jarring. It feels like something he wasn’t supposed to see.

Yagi explains he’s missing his entire stomach and half a lung later to a considerably more calmed down Rin. He even lifts his shirt to show him the grotesque looking wound, cracked skin and mishmash of stitches along his side. They are red and irritated, like they’ve never fully healed.

It’s not a pretty sight.

Even worse is Yagi’s diet. For a man missing his entire stomach, his fridge is filled with things he probably should _not_ be eating, from various bins of takeout to premade lunches from the convenience store. There are a few cans of beer in the corner.

It’s almost like he’s ignoring his _very_ debilitating injury and pretending everything is fine. That’s probably the final straw- Rin grabs a trash bag, intrusion be damned, and clears out everything in Yagi’s fridge.

Toshinori is surprised to come home from training with Midoriya one evening to find stacks and stacks of homemade bento. There’s a note written in messy handwriting that reads, “eat healthier, you damn geezer.”

-  
After a week of nothing happening, Rin starts to get suspicious.

Yagi hasn’t gotten tired of him and kicked him out yet, and Rin hasn’t flipped shit or gotten into any fights. Granted, he’s only left the house to get groceries once, and even he can’t fuck that up.

He _is_ getting a bit restless, though. Even before he opened the sword, Rin has always had an indescribable amount of energy, unable to sit still for a long time. Now, it’s apparently multiplied by a lot, because the days move like molasses. He still watches Midoriya’s training regiment (he’s almost completely cleared the beach, just in time for the entrance exams in a few days), but he’s starting to get twitchy.

He genuinely doesn’t know what to do here. At this point Rin would’ve already gotten involved in a fight, by his own volition or not.

“Are you alright, Rin? You seem… twitchy.” Midoriya comments one morning. He looks especially tired, with dark bags under his eyes as he sits next to Rin. The algebra textbook is open between them, but Rin just can’t bring himself to listen today.

He gives a noncommittal grunt. “I’m fine. You don’t look too good, though.”

“It’s just stress about the entrance exam, nothing too big.”

The date looms above them, approaching quickly. Even Rin is feeling some of the anxiety, but Rin knows Midoriya’s kind. He’s the type to overthink things to the point it’s unhealthy. Yukio sometimes did the same thing. “Wanna talk about it?” He asks.

He half expects Midoriya to clam up and dismiss Rin- something Yukio often did as they got older, starting to push Rin away entirely. However, his green haired maybe-friend sighs, shoulders slumping. “It’s just… I don’t know if I’ll be able to control my quirk in time for the entrance exam.”

“What? Why not?” He finds himself asking loudly, causing Midoriya to flinch and go silent. Whoops- he touched a nerve. Cursing his big damn mouth, Rin backtracks. “I mean, you’ve been pushing around shit on this beach for weeks.”

Midoriya hasn’t talked about his quirk very much, but he’s been training his strength, so even Rin can guess it’s something physical. It’s fine, considering Rin hasn’t talked about his that much, either. It’s just something that never came up.

“I just… don’t know how to use it well.” Midoriya admits eventually.

An idea pops into Rin’s head. “Wanna spar then?”

“Excuse me?” Midoriya sputters, face turning s bright shade of pink. “Do I want to do what?”

“You know, have a fake fight. It’s for practicing.” Rin says. Of course, he’s never had a fight that wasn’t real, but he knows that some people spar for fun. “That was we both get practice with our strength!”

“Oh, right… you’re super strong too…” Midoriya bites his lip. “I mean, sure. It’s fighting practice, right? I mean, if the practical exam is a fight with another student, then I would be woefully unprepared for it. So maybe it’s good to have a practice fight! I’ve never thrown a punch in my life, but-”

Rin interrupts him, stopping the rant before it starts. “Damn, it ain’t that deep! What kind of fights have you been in where you’ve never punched someone?”

Midoriya remains silent, and.

Oh.

Rin puts two and two together for once in his life and realizes he’s a goddamn idiot. He had wondered why Midoriya was so hyper aware of distance, flinching whenever Rin got close, shying away from casual touch. He knows all too well the signs of bullying, considering he was a punching bag before he got mad enough to punch back, and then only the thugs started bothering him.

Mind made up, Rin stands up, crossing his arms. “Get up. Imma teach ya how to fight.”

Midoriya’s voice rises as he screeches. “ _What?_ ”

“Ya wanna become a hero? Ya wanna start fighting your bullies back? Ya gotta know how to fight.” Rin says, prompting Midoriya to stand up. He does, looking confused as Rin leads him to an empty spot on the beach.

(Because, seriously. Strength doesn’t matter a bit if you don’t know how to use it. When was his instructor planning on teaching him that?)

The days pass in a blur after that. Rin teaches Midoriya what he knows about brawling, makes lunches for Yagi, and studying his ass off for the entrance exam. Midoriya was apprehensive at first, but he eventually learned how to throw a proper punch and even block.

After three days, Rin feels satisfied that Midoriya at least knows how to throw and block a punch.

After three days, it’s time for the entrance exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin, upon discovering All Might's illness and lack of self care: Damn, bitch, you live like this?


	7. The Cost of Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin draws his sword and loses control. Izuku uses One for All for the first time and pays the price.
> 
> Both learn they have a long way to go before things are okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little blurb on the entrance exam, from the student's perspctive this time!
> 
> I hope you guys really don't mind that these chapters aren't very long- this series was intended to be kind of drabble-ish and short chapters are easier for me to manage since I'm trying to get the hang of a hectic schedule.
> 
> That said I hope you enjoy this chapter!

In the morning, Rin wakes up, eats breakfast, harrasses Yagi until the old man eats too, and throws on jeans and a hoodie. He makes sure his sword is strapped to his back and makes his way to the train station.

In the morning, Izuku wakes up, hyperventilates, attempts breakfast and fails miserably. Mom fusses over him and he eats a hair on the beach, hyperventilates some more, and meets Rin in front of the train station.

“Are you ready?” Izuku asks, rubbing at the bags under his eyes. He notes that Rin isn’t wearing any middle school uniform- just casual clothes and the same thin sword bag he’s had slung over one shoulder without fail since Izuku met him. He hasn’t actually seen the sword itself, or asked what it’s for, but from the way Rin carries it around, it’s probably something important.

He wonders if Rin’s going to use it during the exam. He hadn’t mentioned knowing how to use it.

Rinn shrugs, yawning. He doesn’t seem on alert, or particularly concerned.

(He smothers down the slowly growing blotch of envy in his heart. It’s not healthy, and it’s not like Rin had everything handed to him on a silver platter. He has his own struggles and worries just like everyone else.)

(That doesn’t mean he can’t be just a _tiny_ bit jealous that Rin slept way better than Izuku did.)

“I didn’t realize it was gonna be this much damn work to become a hero! There’s so much shit in the way!” He complains as they board the train.

“Well…” Izuku laughs awkwardly. “That’s what it’s like when you apply to one of the most prestigious hero schools in the world.”

Rin continues to grumble the entire way to U.A, stirring in his seat. Izuku politely tunes him out to think about All Might’s power. What if he didn’t really inherit it? What if he can’t control it? What if he has too much power and seriously injures someone? What if-

“Oi. You’re stressing.” Rin interrupts his thoughts, and Izuku snaps out of his inner monologue, only to find that he’s started hyperventilation episode part 3. Whoops. Straightening from his hunched over position, Izuku smooths out his uniform and tries his best to appear calm. “You’re applying for a reason, right? Just remember that.”

Rin, Izuku has found, is very awkward at comforting people, but it still cheers him up nonetheless. A tiny laugh bubbles up from his throat, and he gives Rin a thumbs up. “I’m good.”

He never thought, in the past nine years Izuku has been quirkless, ostracized, and alone, that he would be riding a train to U.A to take the exam with someone he considers a friend. He has Mom to come home to, and All Might himself supporting him. It’s like his life has flipped upside down and landed on its head, and that’s not a bad thing.

Maybe he can really do this.

-

_Robots. We’re fighting robots._

Rin doesn’t even know the thought is comforting to him until he physically relaxes, shoulders slumping and muscles unwinding. Now he doesn’t have to fight people.

This is something Rin can do without fucking up. He doesn’t have to hold back.

He hasn’t drawn his sword since that night at the monastery- but if Rin has any intention of becoming a hero, becoming _stronger_ , he has to learn to control this.

So he reaches for his sword bag with one hand, pulling the demon blade out. None of the other applicants pay him any mind, all wrapped up in their own fights.

And then-

Rin draws the sword.

His senses immediately sharpen, sight tinted blue. He can hear the mechanical whirring of the robots as they cause general chaos, smell the sweat on the other applicants. With both hands, he clutches the handle of the blade, power coursing through his veins, and he wonders why he hasn’t done this earlier this is _incredible_ -

Focus.

The robots.

Rin centers himself, fangs bared, scanning for his objective. Most other students are engaged in battle (weak, weak, humans), and he ignores them.

There are plenty of robots around, and he dashes towards the closest one he sees. With one clean arc, he slashes the thing in two. It collapses to the ground, mechanical parts sparking where he destroyed it, the blue fire from his sword consuming and burning.

Under his hands, it breaks apart easily. 

Well. That worked well. He didn’t know if Satan’s flames would work on anything other than demons, and he hasn’t really tested it, but now he knows they’re just as destructive on regular, non demonic-beings.

So Rin destroys. With speeds he didn’t know were possible, he slashes and runs and fights and _burns_ , leaving a trail of blue fire wherever he goes. He swings with wild abandon.

_It’s so much easier to destroy._

Meanwhile, the heroes watch in interest as the applicant with the flames moves with raw, uninhibited, _power_. This is a student they can train. Only Toshinori feels the horror creeping up his spine, the thought that this wild thing is radically different from the rough but kind teen he’s been living with.

Only Nezu smiles as he watches the demon lose control.

-

Izuku has not made a single point.

The fear gnaws at him, the desperation, as his limbs freeze stiff and his muscles turn to jelly. _Why can’t he move?_

His useless legs carry him across the exam site as he watches the serious glasses student from earlier bash in a robot with his legs, shouting some high number as he dashes to another. The points are being taken, but no matter what Izuku screams at his brain, he can’t take any for himself.

_Damnit. Everything he worked so hard for, everything All Might gave him, it all went to waste._

All of those thoughts fly away with the appearance of the zero pointer, smashing through the wall and causing debris to fly everywhere, students scrambling in a panic. Again, Izuku is frozen in fear as it comes closer directly in his path.

The girl is pinned under rubble. She needs help.

In that moment, Izuku doesn’t think about points, or winning, or destroying robots. His only instinct is to help- to _save_.

His body breaks under him as he jumps.

-

He only stops when he hears someone scream.

In front of him, a girl- another student like him, grasping at her arm in pain as the flames lick at her skin. Her eyes are blown wide in fear, staring right past him.

No, not past him. _At_ him.

This causes him to pause, snapping out of his power fueled adrenaline to actually look at the destruction he’s caused. It’s only a second, but that’s enough. The grass at his feet is fucked, completely burnt. Some of the other students have backed away, not scared, but giving the still burning blue fire a wide berth.

_Fuck. **Fuck.**_

He sheaths the sword immediately, flames on his body dying down and his senses dulling. At the same time, his adrenaline screeches to a halt, and he gasps, the strain of capping his power leaving him panting.

“I-” the girl starts, trembling.

“ _Go._ ” He growls out, with more force than necessary- but she listens, turning around and running.

He doesn’t remember much about the last time he drew the demon blade. Only that it had been painful as his body changed from human to demon. But he only remembers drawing it for an instance, to destroy the gate. This time, he really lost control. He almost hurt someone.

He kneels, clutching the sword to his chest protectively for the remainder of the exam, sitting around the robots he destroyed in a flurry of power and flames, gasping for air as the remnants of blue die down.

-

Izuku’s body is mostly healed by Recovery girl, but he spends hours in the infirmary, only waking up as the sun sets. He’s lost most of his day, his arm is in a sling, and he failed _miserably._

He checks his phone, and there’s no text from All Might. He wonders if his hero was watching- if he knows how disappointing Izuku was. He probably did, and that’s why he hasn’t asked Izuku how it went.

The thought is not comforting.

He thanks Recovery Girl, body healed enough to take the train home- even his arm is mostly healed, despite being in a sling. He really fucked it up with that punch. Every bone he broke is fine, as if it was never destroyed in the first place. But he remembers the feeling of pain.

He waits until he’s in the safety of his room to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little more heavy here but they'll be sorted out!
> 
> Now that these kinda exposition chapters are out of the way we start the real canon divergence. I have a lot of things planned so I'm a little excited for these upcoming chapters! Izuku and Rin will have some heart to heart before high school starts, and Bakugou is going to be introduced soon. I'm really excited to write!


	8. A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Izuku deal with the aftermath of failure. They each have their own problems to sort out, but they're learning how to cope together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the wait on this chapter! I've been super busy with school and stuff and I had a super long paper to write that took up a lot of my time. But here it is, and I should be posting more chapters this weekend because I'm going on break!!! I'm gonna have a lot of time to crank out some chapters especially since I'm really getting to some stuff I'm looking forward to. Hope you guys enjoy!

_”Yukio! Did ya see what he just did on TV?” An excited Rin asks, bouncing up and down on the couch with enough force to break it. He doesn’t seem to realize the force he’s jumping with, or the fact that he’s rattling his brother next to him. As usual, Yukio doesn’t complain._

_However, he doesn’t understand what’s so cool about it. He doesn’t even look like he’s watching! Yukio is so weird sometimes- whenever Rin tries to explain how cool All Might is when he punches the shit out of villains, Yukio just kinda hums in that way adults do when they pretend to listen._

_So Rin ignores his brother and turns back to the action on TV. It’s one of the rare times they’re allowed to watch, and a segment on All Might is on. He’s super strong and cool, and has the same kind of power as Rin!_

_”When I grow up, I’m going to be a hero!” He exclaims to the world, fist held in the air proudly as he stops bouncing for a fraction of a second._

_”Is that so? You’ll be amazing with that strength, kiddo.” Dad says without looking up from his paper. His confidence only makes Rin even more excited. Dad is rooting for him. Rin can’t let him down._

_Even his teachers seem to think he’ll make a good hero!_

_So he doesn’t understand why the adults seem so scared of him all of a sudden._

_When the older kids push his classmates around, he punches them like they do on TV. But they don’t think it’s a good thing anymore. They start to berate him, avoiding him. Soon after that, the nicknames start up._

_The first time someone calls him a demon child, his chest does this funny thing where it feels all hollow and empty. The teachers do nothing to stop it, either, and when he tries to get them to stop they just run away and cry._

_He hates it! He’s not a demon or a villain- he’s a hero! But they won’t listen to him! Why can’t he just-_

Rin jolts awake in a cold sweat.

It takes a moment for him to register that he’s still crashing in Yagi’s guest room- not at the monastery. Instead of waking up to the familiar view of the old, wooden walls, he’s staring at an ugly yellow color that is probably supposed to be happy and relaxing.

It’s not.

A tiny corner on the bed has lit with blue flame, probably because of his violent, knee jerk reaction to his dream. It wasn’t a nightmare, but with everything that happened yesterday, it wasn’t pleasant, either.

He smothers it with his hands before it grows any bigger, cursing at the small burn it leaves on the white sheets. As if to remind him of the pitiful state of his control and his status as the one of the most destructive, awful, and chaotic demon in existence, life just has to drive home the fact that he’s literally a walking lighter.

At least he didn’t set the room on fire.

Throwing the comforter over the small burn, Rin throws himself out of bed. He only looks in the mirror for a second, but that’s enough to tell how shitty he looks. He didn’t change out of his clothes from yesterday, and they got wrinkly after a night of tossing and turning. He forgot to tuck his tail back in after yesterday’s disaster and it hangs at his side, swaying back and forth like it has a mind of its own.

He decides against tucking it back in his shirt. He doesn’t hear the old man snoring across the hall, which means he’s probably fucked off to work already. Which is fine with him- despite Yagi proving he doesn’t hate Rin and hasn’t kicked him out at a moment’s notice, Rin always feels a little more free when he’s gone.

His stomach growls, snapping Rin out of his thoughts. That’s right- he didn’t eat anything for dinner last night when he just kinda climbed into bed and fell asleep, shutting out the rest of the world. And now he’s paying the price.

He shuffles out of the room, cautiously peeking around the corner just on the off chance Yagi is still here. Nope. The place is empty.

So Rin does what he does best- cooking. There aren’t many ingredients in the pantry for breakfast so he has to improvise, throwing things together that have a lot of calories. Yagi _does_ have a loaf of bread on the counter, so Rin uses that to make toast.

_Speaking of food, the old man probably needs some more lunches, doesn’t he?_

He’d made some for the old man without really thinking about it much- but he’s surprised he’s happy that Yagi is eating them. At least it eases the guilt he feels about crashing here for free. It’s the best way Rin can pay him back.

Cooking breakfast leads to more lunches for Yagi, which leads to curry for dinner, which goes in tupperware to be heated up for later. Then dinner turns into making more lunches until he looks at the clock and he’s spent most of the day in the kitchen.

“Whoops.”

-

Izuku waits on the beach for a few hours for All Might to show up.

He doesn’t.

It’s pretty disheartening, especially after the exam yesterday, but he knows that All Might is a busy man. He hasn’t responded to Izuku’s messages about the exam, so he probably already knows how horribly Izuku failed.

A part of him wonders if All Might isn’t talking to him because he’s disappointed in Izuku’s performance, especially since he broke three limbs with nothing to show for it. He doesn’t regret saving the girl- not ever- but he spent so much training and now it doesn’t mean much.

He sighs, fiddling with his phone with his free hand- the one he broke yesterday is still in a sling, since it wasn’t completely healed. Just enough so that it wasn’t bent six different ways-

_He can’t think about it._

While Izuku had been honestly prepared to do anything to become a hero, breaking his body like that had… hurt. It sucked laying there, broken, inching along using one arm to get just one point until time was up and the adrenaline faded. That was when the pain actually kicked in, and every bone and muscle felt like it was on fire.

All Might had briefly explained that he was a “rushed vessel”, but Izuku hadn’t expected it to be as bad as it was.

(A little warning on the kickback would be nice.)

He’s about to throw in the towel when he notices something approaching- a blob in the distance. He perks up, hoping that it will be his mentor, but it’s not.

Rin walks up slowly, looking as tired as Izuku feels. He’s still wearing the clothes he was wearing yesterday, like he hadn’t bothered to change. He takes one look at Izuku’s arm in a sling and the look on his face immediately hardens.

“What happened?”

Izuku can’t even muster a laugh at Rin’s serious face. Though he had looked forlorn when he approached, the fire is lit in his eyes again. He almost drops the bento in his hands in his anger, which Izuku moves to catch in case they fall from his hands. They don’t.

“Well…” Izuku muses, wondering where to start. The good thing about having Rin as a friend is that he didn’t know Izuku when he was quirkless, which means this is a good time as any to come up with a story. “You know how I told you I can’t manage my strength, which is why I was training?”

Wordlessly, he nods.

“Well, I injured myself. Bad.” He leaves out the fact that he was injured much worse than this- there’s no need to anger Rin more than he already is. That is not a beast he wants to tempt. “On top of that, I didn’t get a single point.”

Rin all but growls, nose wrinkling and face contorting into something unpleasant. Even though he knows (or at least hopes) Rin isn’t mad at him, he still shivers. “I swear, was it a person that did this to you?”

“No!” He insists, waving his one good arm in the air. “It really was just me. I punched the zero pointer and… well…”

He lets the silence speak for itself.

Rin looks like he wants to say something else, but thinks better of it, and sighs. He sits down next to Izuku and wordlessly hands Izuku a bento box. “I know, it sucks. But if they turn ya down after everything you’ve worked so hard for, then they’re even bigger idiots than me!”

His insistence that Izuku will make it in is touching, even though he’s wrong. Izuku failed, and that’s the end of that. There’s no other reason All Might would avoid him and his texts today.

“So how did you do?” Izuku asks, desperate to change the subject so his thoughts don’t keep spiraling like they are right now. “You’re really strong, Rin.”

Rin is a bit like Kacchan, Izuku thinks. They’re both incredibly strong and gifted (although he hasn’t known Rin as long as he’s known Kacchan, Izuku has an eye for spotting strong people. Rin doesn’t boast about his power, but he has it in abundance.) If it weren’t for the difference in their attitudes, Izuku would think they’d get along.

Anyways. He knows Kacchan did well in the exam (he always does), and Rin probably scored high enough to claim a spot in U.A’s hero course as well.

Instead, Rin just shakes his head. “It… wasn’t good.”

“What? Did you not score well?” Izuku asks, shocked.

“I failed, is what happened. I lost control and-” He pauses, as if he’s not sure he should continue talking. He takes a glance at Izuku before he continues talking, like he’s afraid of Izuku’s reaction. Though, that probably isn’t the case since would require he actually respects Izuku’s opinion, which has never happened before.

“I almost hurt someone.” He says quietly. “I’m not really used to my power, or whatever, and I lost control and almost fucking hurt that girl- I didn’t even mean to, and if I hadn’t snapped out of it when I did, she would’a been hurt a lot worse. I’m awful.”

(To Rin, it’s just another reminder of his heritage. It seems that no matter where he runs he can’t escape.)

Oh.

Izuku takes a thoughtful bite of his bento- which is actually really good. It reminds him of Mom’s cooking, the kind of way you feel a lot of passion in the dish. “Did you make this?” He asks.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah.” Rin shrugs. “I had a whole bunch of leftovers after making your old teacher his lunches. Did you know he’s unhealthy as hell? The dude’s like, missing his stomach, right? Do you know why he was eating shit?”

No, he didn’t know how badly All Might was eating- Izuku knew about his hero’s stomach wound, since he saw it the first day he discovered All Might’s secret, but Izuku had assumed he was taking care of himself. This is apparently not the case, according to Rin, who has been staying with All Might for some reason he kind of skirted around (again, Izuku didn’t pry out of respect for Rin’s privacy). Maybe hero worship blinded him to that, in some way. “I didn’t know that.”

“I’ve been making that idiot better meals that should be easier on him. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to cook in a kitchen, and shit. It’s nice.”

If only Rin knew exactly who he was shit talking. Izuku bites his lip to stop himself from laughing at the irony. “See? You’re not awful, Rin. Y-You make great food and you care about people. You just lost control for a few minutes. A-And U.A is there to teach people how to control their powers!” Izuku tries weakly. He’s new at this whole _comforting people_ thing, but he tries his best, and does what All Might is known best for. Smiles.

It seems to cheer Rin up even a little bit, because he straightens his back, looking pensive. When he speaks, something about the tone of his voice makes his words seem all the more genuine. “Thanks, Midoriya. You’re real hero material, too. I’m sure you’re gonna get in. And even if ya don’t, I’m sure you’ll find a way to become a hero anyways.”

For once in the past two days, the smile on Izuku’s face feels genuine. “You’re right, Rin!” He says, chest feeling light. “Let’s both become heroes together!”

-

Rin is right. Even though Izuku wants to go to U.A, it’s only one way to become a hero. There are still schools besides U.A, and he’s not giving up on his dream that easily. Even if he doesn’t make it into the hero course, there’s still the general studies course, and if he doesn’t make it there, there’s Shinketsu.

_I just have to work harder than everyone else. Instead of moping, I’ll take this time to plan._

In the dark of the night, Izuku pulls out his notebook and a pencil. He’s not going to sit around anymore. There’s still so much more training to do before the spring.

First, he needs to find some way to fight while he learns how to control One for All. He knows Rin carries a sword, and heroes like Eraserhead have weapons to aid their quirks. Just because he has All Might’s power, he doesn’t have to fight completely bare-handed. It’s only a question of the weapon he would be most comfortable carrying.

Maybe something long ranged?

-

Midoriya is right.

Rin lost control, sure. He’s been beating himself up about it to the point of _stress cooking_. Their war zone of a kitchen that Rin hadn’t gotten to cleaning up before going to the beach to hopefully meet Midoriya (Rin’s lucky he was there. He’s only ever met Midoriya there, and doesn’t know where else to look for him). But he can’t keep letting that shit define him!

He may be the son of Satan, dammit, but he’s gonna be a hero! He’s gonna become strong and learn how to control this power and become someone who can protect people all on his own!

Which means he has to start learning to control Satan’s flames himself, right?

Yagi doesn’t return that night, which would be worrying if Midoriya didn’t happen to mention that he has some important job that takes him away for hours on end. Rin waits until the sun goes down to sneak out into the backyard, makes sure no one is around, and slowly draws his sword.

It’s time to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So next chapter is the Bakugou introduction. I hope you guys are ready for some conflict!
> 
> Also Izuku and Rin are forming the All Might protection squad now, it's totally a thing. Rin keeps complaining about how this dumbass old man doesn't know how to take care of himself and Izuku just thinks it's both funny and terrifying that Rin shit talks the number one hero so much (it's out of care, but still).


End file.
